DiECAH presents the man himself, GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY

Описание: In a sense, my long term relationship with GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY is based on comic books, rather than animation. Although Genndy and I were aware of one another years prior, It was the DEXTER’S LABORATORY comic books that I’d drawn that made him want to work with me, and when we did start working together, I recognized what Genndy was doing because of the comics we’d both read in our youths. Our first collaboration was on SYM-BIONIC TITAN, when Genndy hired me to be character designer for the series. On that production, Genndy prompted me to channel OSAMU TEZUKA, the God of Manga. But within the Tezuka- like sketches Genndy was feeding me to finalize for the production, I also saw Walt Simonson in there (in fact I’d once mentioned to Mr. Simonson that I was working in a style that merged his sensibilities with those of Tezuka, to which he replied, “how’s THAT working out for you!?”)
Genndy has several styles he likes to produce in, sometimes whimsical (DEXTER’S LAB, UNICORN), sometimes brutal (SAMURAI JACK, PRIMAL) and sometimes just downright goofy (the HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA films), and he generally has the privilege to work with the best craftsmen in the business. When Genndy is doing action adventure, I feel like he usually calls on me to help him, because he’s aware that I know the same comic books that he knows (something many animation artists don’t necessarily know). I usually don’t think of myself as an action kind of guy, but I think Genndy thinks of me that way, and that’s good enough for me. I always enjoy working with Genndy. He has a clear and direct vision of what he’d like to accomplish on all of his productions, which makes it easier on me to design. No guessing games! Genndy knows what he wants.
Genndy and I share only one comic-book credit. Years ago, he got an opportunity to draw Luke Cage, Power Man for Marvel, he jumped at it and I was happy to go along for the ride, inking and embellishing from his digital pencils. Folks seem to have a lot of affection for that limited series. Perhaps—PERHAPS, we’ll do more comics together, soon.
Genndy’s extremely busy, one of the hardest working men I know of, really, and I’m grateful that he took the time to speak with me for this “show”. He’s enjoyable to listen to in this conversation. Me? I don’t know where my head was during this recording. Someplace else, clearly. I seem a little befuddled at times, you’ll notice, although I don’t know why, because I was well fed before we recorded and I’ve known Genndy a good 20 years now so I should’ve been comfortable enough. So, be smart while watching this, ignore me, enjoy Genndy.
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DYING IS EASY, COMICS ARE HARD: CONVERSATIONS ON GRAPHIC STORYTELLING is a series of recorded conversations about comics, cartoons, and creativity.
Stephen DeStefano (that’s me) is a 40+ year veteran cartoonist, has won two Emmys and drawn dozens of comic books—and has some truly amazing friends. Over the years he and his amazing friends have had amazing conversations, and it dawned on Stephen (me) that someone ought to start recording these conversations. Hopefully full of insight, possibly full of advice, questionably full of humor but definitely full of beans, I (Stephen) will be speaking with some of the best known comics artists, animators, illustrators and creatively gifted people out there. These conversations are raw, unedited, totally punk rock (man!), and rambling, but anything but dull.